Black Holes and Paper Flowers
by RCs Fix
Summary: Neal has a lot of things to figure out.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N I'd like to thank my wife for reading my stories and encouraging me to write.**

* * *

Mozzie raised his fist to knock on Neal's door when the door swung open.

"Hey Moz."

"Hi Neal. Where you off to?" Mozzie asked, as Neal walked around him and bounced down June's stair case.

"Library"

"Oh, a good book."

"Nope."

"Wha..huh? What's at the library if not books?" Mozzie asked.

"Information."

Mozzie spun around and hurried down the stairs following Neal.

"What are we looking for?" Mozzie poked.

"So you're helping me?"

"Sure why not," Mozzie answered. Mozzie locked in with Neal's larger stride. "What's the hurry?"

* * *

Mozzie looked at Neal and asked, "I thought you weren't going back down this rabbit hole?"

Neal was looking at microfiche newspaper stories from thirty years ago. "What I know about my dad is a black hole."

Mozzie cocked his head and waited for Neal to continue.

"My mom told me he was a hero and dead, I found the paper she had in her treasures shoe box that said he was a dirty cop and died while selling guns from the evidence room."

Mozzie continue staring.

"As a kid I always felt like he was watching over me. Growing up there are times I would swear I saw him. There is good and bad in everyone, I see it in myself, so I need to tie all the loose ends together. I need to know who he was. Why he did what he did."

"The Suit could help you with this." Mozzie wasn't sold on Neal's reasoning.

Neal looked at Mozzie. "Peter doesn't need to know anything about this."

Mozzie handed Neal a sheet of paper. "Here's that request form you wanted."

* * *

Neal opened his door with a folder full of paper. All from the library.

Neal sat at the table and started filling out the Freedom of Information Act request form Mozzie had got him.

Neal started filling in the necessary details, the reason Peter hadn't known anything about Neal's father was he had a different last name.

Speaking to himself as he filled in the lines of information. "New York Police Department."

Neal looked up as he heard a knock, Pulling the newspaper over his folder. "Just a sec," He called out as he stood up.

Peter opened the door. "Hey, Neal. Need a ride to the office?"

"I won't refuse it."

Neal saw a concerned look on Peter's face. "What's going on, Peter?"

* * *

"OK, we're in the car, tell me," Neal said staring at Peter.

Peter was playing with the navigation system. Neal was sure he was just wasting time.

"Peter… I'm in the car, tell me."

Peter had keyed in the address and started moving.

"Alex has been shot and she's in the hospital. We're going there now."

Neal pulled out the police light as his window was going down. "Damn it! Go go GO GO. Step on it." Neal's voice cracked.

Peter was already moving quickly, but Neal's mind was racing and not at all focused on what Peter was doing.

* * *

Neal and Peter ran into the hospital waiting room and Jones stopped them. "She's in surgery." He said.

"What happened?" Neal asked.

"Don't really know yet," Jones said. "It was called in and we had a flag on her name, other than being shot, we don't know a lot."

"Shot where? Where was she shot?" Neal asked.

"The doctor said torso, two GSW's to the torso" Jones caught himself, "Gun Shot Wounds."

Neal slumped into a chair next to Peter. "Thank you, and you too, Peter, for getting me here."

Peter watched Neal shake his legs as if he was drumming and gripping the chair's arms, a lot of nervous energy. "That's not going to help."

Neal looked at his hands, releasing them and then flexing them. "I'm just worried. I still have a lot to say to her."

"The doctor will tell us more when they can," Jones said, "You know everything I do."

Peter stood, "Thanks Clinton, you don't need to stay. I know you have other stuff to do."

"Thanks, boss." Jones said and walked out the door.

Peter walked to the reception area and told the person there they were in the waiting room.

He flashed his badge just to ensure they were told as soon as the surgery was over.

* * *

Peter walked back in and saw Neal in the same chair but bend over in the position people have you get in if they're afraid you're going to faint, head between his knees.

"You OK?"

Neal sat up straight and looked at Peter, not saying a word.

"That position you were in had me worried," Peter said.

Neal put on a brave face and asked, "What case did you have for us today?"

"Mortgage fraud."

"Ugh."

Peter sat back, looked at the clock, and exhaled.

Neal rocked in his chair and his legs were still going.

Peter looked at Neal. "What is it you want to say to her, Neal?"

Neal stopped rocking and his legs slowed and then stopped. "There's so much… I still need to figure it out myself."

* * *

Mozzie walked into the waiting room. "How's she doing?"

"Don't know yet, she's still in surgery," Neal said.

"Where's the Suit?"

"Using his badge to get updates."

Mozzie thought about saying something about abusing the power of Peter's position, but didn't say anything.

Mozzie looked at Neal and could see his pain. "You really care about her, don't you?"

"Yes, of course I do. And I'd like to tell her about it."

"Which door is he coming through?"

"What?"

"The suit, which door?"

Neal pointed.

Mozzie moved so he could see the door.

* * *

Peter walked down the hallway and could see Mozzie through the glass door.

He could hear them talking, but the talking stopped as he opened the door.

"You have company," Peter said.

"Mozzie came as soon as he found out."

Peter looked to Neal and Mozzie wondering what was going on. "What did you find out?" Peter asked.

Mozzie looked to Neal. Neal nodded.

"Alex was found about three blocks from her home. She goes shopping each day for the food she plans to eat that day. Gets the freshest food that way. On the way home she was shot. She had a bag in her hands, so wasn't as quick as she would have been without the bag."

"Do you know who did this?" Peter asked.

Mozzie was perturbed at his story being cut short. "Yeah, a street punk did the shooting. Not sure if it was by request or not."

"By request?" Peter said, "Who is this punk? I'll have him yanked off the street so fast his untied shoes will be left behind."

"That's not really working for you, Peter, but thanks." Neal put his hand on Peter's shoulder.

Mozzie handed Peter a note with all the details.

Peter pulled out his phone and called Jones.

* * *

Peter closed his phone. "Jones and Diana are working to catch this punk."

Mozzie looked at Neal. "You're going into that dark place again, Neal."

Neal looked at Mozzie. "I've lost too much already. I can't do this again."

"Why don't you talk to the Suit about the Li.."

"Don't you have book club." Neal cut Mozzie off. Peter didn't need to know about the library.

Peter asked, "Tell me about what lie?" Peter raised his eyebrows and waited for Neal to answer.

Neal was quick though. "I told you I didn't care about what happened to the punk. But the truth is, I want him caught, I want five minutes alone with him."

Peter looked at Neal trying to decide if he believed him or not.

Mozzie stood up. "Maybe I should go."

"No, please don't." Neal was hurting and Mozzie could see it in his face.

The door opened and a doctor walked in.

* * *

Alex's eyelids started moving and then opened slowly. Everything was blurry. She heard Neal, she could smell Neal.

What did he say? "Neal"

"I'm here Alex." Neal held her hand.

Alex tried to get up on her elbows.

"No, no. Don't move, Alex, you were shot twice, just lay there and rest."

"I was there, I hurt, I know I was shot. Just wanted to look at you."

* * *

Mozzie sat uncomfortably with Peter in the waiting room.

Peter looked at Mozzie fidget. "So what are you guys up to lately?"

Mozzie jumped up, and almost yelled "Book club!", then at a regular tone he added "'Poetry is the opening and closing of a door, leaving those who look through to guess about what is seen during a moment.'" He took a breath and smiled and then added, " Carl Sandburg." Mozzie moved quickly to the door and was gone.

* * *

Peter walked down the hallway towards Alex's room. The white walls and familiar smell of hospital antiseptic gave the image of clean, but also made him wonder why anyone wanted to be in health care. Peter poked his head in the door. Neal's back was toward him, sitting on the edge of the bed.

The room was quiet except for the medical monitoring equipment. "She's still out?"

"She woke up and we spoke, but she's out again," Neal answered without turning around.

Neal finished folding a piece of paper and placed it in Alex's hand. Standing up and then walking toward Peter and the door, Neal said, "Let's go get this guy."

* * *

The conference room looked to be in use, he could see Diana and Jones there, but Neal followed Peter in.

"What do you have?" Peter asked.

"The info you got from Mozzie points to a real winner," Diana said.

Jones followed that immediately, "Joey Garmini, has been in and out of trouble his whole life. Juvie at nine, stolen car. Again at ten, robbed the store his mother worked at, then from twelve until he was eighteen, for running over a kid with another stolen car. Numerous fights while in detention." Jones flipped a page and continued, "Mozzie's note said this kid wants to be part of the Colnago crime family, we spoke with Alan over at Organized Crime Unit and he's confirmed Joey has been seen a number of times."

"Do we have an idea where he is now?" Peter asked.

"Still looking," Jones answered.

Peter looked to Neal. "Know anything about Colnago or if Alex knows them?"

"Hard not to know them. Italian crime family with some legitimate businesses. I'd guess for laundering. In the paper often, many crimes speculated to be run by them. I stay away from them, too many guns. I'd expect the same for Alex."

"Would they have any reason why they'd want Alex dead?

Neal stood there in silence. Peter waited.

Neal was looking out the window when he started speaking. "Vincent Adler was really upset with her for looking into him, she was trying to get info on the music box. Is there a chance this goes back to him?"

"It's as close to a reason as we have at this point," Peter said, unsure if it was a sound reason.

"How are we going to find out?" Diana asked.

Everyone looked at her, not understanding her question.

Diana looked at everyone and then re-phrased her question. "We cannot go to the Colnago's and ask if Adler had a hit put out on Alex. Unless we can find him and make Joey talk, how will we find out about the reasons for what happened?"

Neal pulled out his phone and dialed a number, everyone else just looked at him. "Mozzie, I think we need your expertise."

Peter didn't like the way that sounded. "I don't know th…"

Neal held up his hand. "That's right, OK… Let me know when you have something." Neal hung up.

Peter looked at Neal. "You don't get to stop me, you don't get to shush me either."

"Peter, I have to stroke his ego to get him to work sometimes and this time it'll get him going faster."

Peter wasn't happy but knew Mozzie had the best chance of getting information quickly.

* * *

"Is that from your boyfriend?" the nurse asked.

Alex was waking up when her vitals were being recorded.

"Boyfriend?" Alex asked.

The cute guy that was at your bedside all morning, until his cop friend pulled him out.

Alex smiled and tried to stretch and felt something in her hand. A paper flower.

* * *

Peter looked at his watch. "How long will this take?"

Everyone else looked to Neal. "This kind of information isn't on the internet, Peter, and it won't travel over phone lines. There are real conversations that need to take place ….squeaky palms that need to be greased." Neal held up his hand and rubbed his thumb and fingers together, "Only the right people might know something and they need to feel good about giving that information away."

Peter looked to Diana and Jones. "Let's get out on the street and find Joey."

* * *

Mozzie walked up to a man in a white suit. "Hale."

"Moz"

"Have you heard about our silver friend?" Mozzie asked referring to Alex's Spanish silver.

"No, why? How has she been?"

"We're trying to find out why she was shot."

Hale jumped. "Shot!.. How bad is it? Is she OK? Where is she? Do you know who did it?"

"Bad, yes, at the hospital near her place and yes, we know who. Trying to find him and why he did it.

* * *

Mozzie called Neal at five forty five. "I got Hale involved. We have everyone we know looking for Garmini and looking into why.

Neal looked to Peter. "No news yet, but our team just became huge."

"Our team? What do you mean?"

* * *

Alex sat up in bed reading the note that had once been a flower. She smiled and started to fold it back into the shape Neal had left it in.

"My boyfriend."

The nurse was checking fluids. "Sorry?"

"Oh, I said, my boyfriend."

The nurse smiled. "It was a nice note?"

"Yes, it was."

* * *

"Hale just called." Mozzie started. "Joey Garmini is staying at a motel, one with a dog. The dog won't let him out of his room, he's making a lot of noise."

"No." Neal couldn't believe it. "Has he said who hired him as a shooter?"

"He says he doesn't have a name, but it was a thin faced Timothy Hutton look-a-like.

"Wow, thanks, Moz."

Neal turned to Peter. "Garmini is at your motel, motel with an 'M', as in 'what's with the dog' motel. And Adler hired him."

Jones was out the door before Peter said a thing. Diana looked at Peter and said, "We'll bring him in."

Neal sighed. There was a lot of weight on his shoulders.

Peter closed the folders in front of him and was about to tell Neal to go when Neal asked, "Peter, I'd like to go check on Alex, if you don't mind."

"Go ahead. Let her know we're all thinking about her, and working to catch this creep."

Neal smiled at Peter. "Thanks."

* * *

Alex was asleep when Neal stepped into her hospital room. Her flower was still folded in her hand. Neal bend over and kissed Alex's forehead and then sat down in the 'visitor chair'

Neal watched Alex sleep. Neal whispered to Alex, "We caught him, the guy that shot you. Adler hired him. Trying to figure out why still."

Alex continued to breathe slow deep breaths. Neal watched until he fell asleep too.

* * *

Alex opened her note and re-read it.

Alex,

I heard a song on the way over here, I can't remember it all, but it went something like this

"When I wake up, I want to be happy.

I feel my heart ticking away and I'm out of my head.

It's time to leave it all behind, to take a risk."

That song spoke to me in ways I can't put a finger on.

This morning I woke up and saw you, and I was happy.

Happier than I remember.

It took you being in danger for me to realize, our time is slipping away.

I'm sorry it took until now for me to see it.

I would be crazy not to tell you, at the risk of embarrassment and rebuke, please let me show you what you mean to me.

Love,

Neal

The nurse came back into the room.

"So your boyfriend stayed with you all night again." She was writing on Alex's chart.

"Where is he?" Alex asked.

"His cop friend came and got him again."

Alex was disappointed she missed Neal again. "So how am I doing?" Alex asked.

"Not bad at all for someone that was shot twice and for losing as much blood as you did."

"How soon before I'm up and moving around like normal?"


	2. Chapter 2

Peter and Neal stopped at the coffee shop near the office.

"I don't think I can drink another cup of that stuff Alice makes.

It's only bearable with a lot of cream and sugar." Peter said.

Neal smiled and ordered his coffee. "Hi, Cheryl, can I have the regular?"

"Sure thing, Neal." Cheryl smiled at Neal.

Peter looked at Neal and shook his head.

Neal then turned to Peter. "We know who shot Alex, and who hired him and when and where he was hired. Can't you check some satellite for images, so we can find a car or something to track him?" Neal was reaching, but trying to get Peter to think out of the box.

Peter was quiet on the elevator and Neal was watching Peter think, hoping something would click inside his head.

Peter opened the doors to the office. "Jones, pull a perimeter of where Garmini met with Adler. I want to know about any ATM and all other security camera's. I want their feeds for two hours on each side of deal."

* * *

Mozzie hit a button on his cell phone to hang up and then another to call Neal.

"Neal, I know someone who works there and Adler was seen at the Palms on Fire Island."

"Thanks Moz." Neal looked around the office, but didn't see Peter. He was just there.

"Jones, where's Peter? Mozzie just called, Adler was spotted on Fire Island at The Palms Hotel."

Jones pointed up the stairs. "He's in with Hughes, but don't go…"

Neal was already running up the stairs.

Hughes' door was closed and Neal could see through the window. Hughes looked upset. Upset that Neal was bouncing outside his door.

Hughes opened his door. "What is it, Caffrey?"

"Adler's on Fire Island."

"Put out an APB and have the locals arrest him."

"I can do that?" Neal asked.

"No, Jones or Barrigan will." Hughes closed his door.

* * *

Alex was laying in her hospital bed, talking with Hale.

"After last time I was in the hospital and he never came around. It's completely different, he's been here two nights in a row."

"It was a different county last time and he had reason for not wanting to be seen." Hale reminded her.

"Who's side are you on?"

"I wasn't trying to take sides, Dear, just trying to have you see the bigger picture."

Alex was quiet for a while, thinking about this, but decided the past is the past. Neal's here this time.

"That's better," Hale said, "You are so beautiful when you smile."

"Thank you," Alex said and turned into her pillow, trying to hide her joy.

* * *

Neal jumped down the stairs and headed to Jones.

Jones looked up at Neal and hung up his phone.

"I just called the local PD, told them they had our suspect at the Palms. They agree to go get him. The Chief was caught up in his Ponzi scheme and is looking forward to busting him."

Neal ran a hand through his hair. "How long before we get him?"

"That all depends on him being caught." Jones answered.

"How long before we know that?"

Jones shrugged his shoulders.

Neal was beside himself, pacing in front of Jones' desk. "Can't we go there and get him?"

Hughes appeared at the top of the stairs, pointing with two fingers at Neal. "Caffrey." Hughes went back into his office.

* * *

Adler didn't stay anywhere very long, and he had stayed at The Palms Hotel two nights.

It was time to go.

* * *

Mozzie had made his way to the Fire Island ferry. If everything went right he'd have Adler in about thirty minutes.

* * *

"I called Chris, the manager, at the Palms. Adler left 5 minutes ago. He's on one of the ferries back to the city." Hughes said.

"Chris?"

"He's a friend's God-son," Hughes said, but Neal was talking over him.

"Do we know which ferry?"

"The Traveler, we have about twenty minutes," Hughes answered.

* * *

"The doctor would like to look at your stitches," a nurse said.

Hale stood up. "I should probably let you get some rest after the doctor's done anyway."

"Thanks for coming by," Alex said.

* * *

Mozzie walked up to the guy that handled tying up the boat and showed him a picture. "Do you remember seeing this guy?

"Uh, hmm, no, can't say I have."

"The FBI is looking for him and I believe he's on Fire Island." Mozzie stood as tall as he could and tried to look official without saying as much.

"Have you talked with the captain?"

"No, please take me to him." Mozzie followed the young man.

* * *

Peter and Neal jumped into Peter's car. Jones and Diana into Diana's car.

Sirens and lights were going on both cars as they headed to the ferry port.

The Traveler pulled into port just as Peter pulled into the parking area. Diana and Jones were right behind them.

They ran to the boat.

Peter flashed his badge. "We believe this man is on board." Peter handed over a picture of Adler. "He is wanted on a number of charges, including murder."

"I don't remember him. We're not that full, come on in and look." The young man said.

Neal and Diana went on board with Peter, Jones waited at the gate.

Neal's phone rang. "Hey Moz, can't talk, looking for Adler."

"You won't find him. He's not on that boat," Mozzie replied.

"Where is he?"

"I'm out here on Fire Island, took the ferry. When I got here I asked around and found out Adler bought a ticket for the ferry, but took a car and headed towards the Robert Moses Causeway."

Neal turned to Peter. "He's not on the boat. He's in a car driving back."

"What kind of car?" Peter asked.

Neal started to ask Mozzie, but Mozzie heard Peter.

"A white one."

"A white what?" Neal asked.

"An expensive white car. The lady that saw him doesn't really know cars. Expensive, white, two doors, new-ish. Sorry that's all I have so far."

Neal gave Peter the info and they thanked the Ferry company and left the boat.

* * *

Back in the office Peter asked Jones to pull camera feeds from the Causeway and try to get info on Adler.

Neal followed Peter to his office.

"He did it again, he got away." Neal's tone said more than he did.

Peter watched Neal for a moment. "Why don't you go check on Alex. I'm afraid this is going to take us a while."

Neal cheered up at this thought. "Thanks, Peter."

* * *

Neal jumped out of a cab and headed into the hospital.

Neal smiled at the nurses on Alex's floor. One stopped him. "Your girlfriend checked out."

"What…where did she go?" Neal asked. "Why didn't she call?"

"She said home," the nurse answered. She smiled at Neal and walked down the hallway.

* * *

Neal knocked on Alex's door.

Nothing.

Neal knocked again and tried looking through windows.

No movement inside. Maybe she was sleeping. Why would they release her already?

Neal called Alex's number, but didn't get an answer.

Neal called Peter. "They released Alex."

"That's great news."

"Yeah, but I don't know where she is."

"Did you try her home?"

"I'm here now," Neal answered. "And I tried calling her."

"Does she have other friends she might stay with?" Peter offered. "You know, Neal, why don't you try to find her. Let me know if you need to go outside your radius. Get some rest if you can. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Thank, Peter." Neal hung up on Peter and pocketed his phone.

Neal looked up and down the block and thought about where Alex might go.

Neal pulled out his phone and called Hale.

"Hale, did you know that Alex was released today?"

"I saw her when a doctor took a look at her wounds, but she never said anything about being released."

"Do you have any ideas where she might go?"

"She told me about the letters you wrote her. She seemed really happy for a change. Don't you dare hurt her again."

"I have a million things I need to tell her," Neal said. "I wouldn't hurt her, you know that."

Hale hesitated before answering.

Neal knew what he was thinking. "Hale, what I did before wasn't right, but I don't want her to think I'm like that anymore."

"Well then, find her and tell her as much," Hale said.

"Let me know if you hear from her," Neal asked.

* * *

Neal spent hours checking with everyone he thought might know where Alex had gone.

* * *

At half past one in the morning Neal opened his door, tired and dejected.

Why didn't she call him, tell him where she was.

"You know I don't have a phone." Alex said.

Neal turned on the light to find Alex in his bed.

"Did you catch that bastard, Adler?"

"Are you reading my mind now? No, he got away again."

"Why are you so late then?"

"I've been out looking for you. Why are you out of the hospital already?"

Alex pulled down the covers to reveal the stitches in her stomach.

"You know hospitals now, heal and deal, save and pave, or in my case, stitch and ditch. They don't want you there any longer than necessary."

Alex patted a spot next to her. "Why don't you show me what I mean to you."


	3. Chapter 3

Neal, half covered by sheets, started moving to his back and stretched. He rolled over to look at Alex.

She wasn't there. Neal sat up with a shot and looked around his apartment. He got out of bed. Did he dream the whole thing?

Neal was hurt.

"Alex?" Neal called.

Neal rubbed his eyes and his face. Had he told her too much last night? They had talked for hours.

Neal sat at his table and put his elbows on it to support his head.

Neal ran through everything that happened after he got home to find Alex in his bed. He had spilled his guts, he apologized, he spoke of the future, he gushed over her, he cuddled her, waited on her and yet something happened.

Neal had thought it was going well, but he missed something. What was it?

Neal showered and got dressed for the day. His phone rang. Neal could see it was from Peter.

"Hi, Peter" Neal said.

"Hi. What's wrong?"

"I came home and found Alex here last night and this morning she's gone."

"What did you say to her?" Peter asked.

"I spoke from my heart. I said a lot." Neal had his shirt and tie on and went to straighten up the bed.

"I'll come by and pick you up and we'll find her."

"Thanks, Peter." Neal hung up.

Neal was pulling up the covers and saw a paper flower. How could he have missed it? Neal opened it as quickly as he could.

It said "I'll see you tonight. I have to get some things together. I have some information I want to share with you about your Dad."

It was signed "Love A"

Neal sat on the edge of the bed and read the note again. What information could Alex have on his Dad? And how would she have got it?"

His phone rang, "Neal, I'm here. Are you coming down?"

"Sorry, Peter. I found a note from Alex and now I'm ... I'm baffled. I'm on my way down."

Neal grabbed his coat and hat and took off down the stairs. After four steps Neal turned around and went back to his apartment. He moved a newspaper and grabbed a folder and left again.

* * *

"The other day, before Alex got shot I had decided it was time to really look into my Dad" Neal said.

Peter looked over at Neal and back at the road, "And?"

"I went to the library, did some searching. I found stories about him in the newspapers from thirty years ago. Both good and bad."

"So he was a cop?"

"I didn't lie to you, Peter. He was a dirty cop."

"I'm sorry, go ahead." Peter pulled into the underground parking.

"I printed every story. I started to fill out a Freedom of Information Act form to get all his police records when you came by."

Peter nodded his head and pulled into his parking space. He opened his door and looked at Neal. Neal wasn't ready to get out just yet.

Peter closed his door and continued to look at Neal.

"Peter, this isn't easy for me, but I need your help."

Neal looked into Peter's eyes. It was a plea for help that Peter had never seen from Neal.

Alex left me a note this morning, I didn't see it and panicked. But I eventually found it and she says she had info she wants to share about my Dad."

Peter's head shook with surprise, "She has information on your Dad that you don't?"

"I guess so."

* * *

Neal and Peter walked into the office.

"Jones, Diana, conference room in five minutes. Neal you can go up there now." Peter walked into his office and was immediately on the phone.

Jones came into the conference room. "How's Alex doing?"

"As of last night I thought she was doing pretty good."

"Last night?"

"She checked out of the hospital and spent the night with me, but this morning she was gone."

Diana walked in, 'Who's gone?"

Jones answered, "Alex"

"Gone, dead?"

"She's not dead, gone..." Neal responded, "...she just left."

Diana looked a little embarrassed, "Oh. Sorry."

Peter walked in. "Something a little different today. Today we help Neal find his out about his Dad."

Diana made a noise, a little disappointed. Peter shot her a look.

Neal was clearly uncomfortable with this statement and Diana's grunt, but he quickly put on an air of confidence and put his discomfort behind him.

"My dad was a New York city cop." Both Diana and Jones made faces, both surprised.

"So was mine." Jones said.

"My dad was a dirty cop." Neal pulled out the pages from his folder. The first few stories were positive reflections on the good work of a cop named John O'Connor. He had brought down a high profile crime family.

Diana looked at this. "Is your dad the unmentioned partner?"

Neal didn't answer. He pulled out a second story and handed it to Diana.

Jones glanced at the story and passed it to Peter.

"Your dad's name was O'Connor?" Peter asked.

"It's why you could never find anything on him." Neal pulled out the last stories about him being dirty. This one involved another crime family.

"He was undercover, going as O'Connor, all his records were hidden, he didn't want anything coming back to his family. He was reported as dead, but I think he's still alive. And Alex has some information on him, but I don't know what."

* * *

"Hey, Boss, here's the records I could pull from NYPD on O'Connor. It's not great."

"Thanks, Jones." Peter replied. Peter opened the folder to find a picture and name and almost everything else was redacted. Black marker hiding almost every detail.

"Hmm, at least we have a picture. Can you run it through facial recognition?"

Jones took the file and as he was leaving said, "I'm on it."

"Why do you think he is still alive, Neal?" Peter asked.

"When I was a kid, after this last news story, I often thought I saw him. Sometimes at the public pool, sometimes just hanging around the neighborhood. I tried to chase him once, when I was fourteen, but that was the last time I thought I saw him."

Neal stopped for effect. "He either never came back around or got better at hiding himself."

"If it was actually him." Peter added.

"Yeah, if it was really him."

"How'd you know what he looked like?" Peter asked.

"My mom had pictures."

Diana was looking at the newspaper stories. "Do you think he went into witness protection?"

"I don't know. My mom said that he said he would never do that. She also said they fought a lot. So.. your guess is as good as mine."

* * *

Mozzie's was reluctantly sitting on a park bench near where he got shot when his phone rang, he jumped.

"Hey, Neal."

"Hey, Moz. I told Peter about my search and what little extra I knew."

"Really. About your dad." Mozzie verified.

"Yeah, about my Dad. Alex left me a note, she has info on him."

"What, how would she get it?" Mozzie asked himself as much as Neal.

"Can you go by my place and see if she's back and let me know."

"Sure, I'll give you a call when I get there." Mozzie stood up, dropped his coffee into the trash and started walking.

* * *

Neal hung up, "Mozzie says she's not at my place."

Jones came into the conference room. "Here's his birth certificate, High School transcripts, started college, but enlisted in the Navy and from the Navy he disappears."

"I'd guess he went from the Navy to NYPD." Peter said. Peter looked at the documents Jones brought in. "Here it is, Navy master at arms." Peter looked at Neal.

Diana asked, '"Master at arms? That's the Navy Police, right?"

"That's right." Peter and Neal said simultaneously.

"Honorable discharge, about two months before your first story, Neal.

"Let me see." Neal rolled his chair next to Peter so he could read the file.

Peter flipped the page.

"Neal, he seems to stop existing after leaving the Navy, we don't have much. Nothing from facial recognition, next to nothing from any files we can find."

"Can you find out about the guys that worked with him in the Navy? Maybe someone there can tell us something." Neal asked.

* * *

"Hello"

"Mister Kent Albaugh?"

"Speaking. You're not gonna try to sell me some crap are you?"

"No sir, my name is Neal. I think you used to work with my dad, John Caffrey.

"Holy smokes, I didn't know John had a kid. He was a good officer."

"I was hoping you could tell me about who he was."

"Who he WAS or who he is? Kent responded. "Well I guess he hasn't really changed that much. Last time I saw him he was working locally here at SDPD…."

* * *

"Records department, this is Trudy."

"Hi, I'm hoping you could help me. I'm new and I'm trying to read through the training manual. Everyone is in a meeting and the Chief came in and told me to pull up all the records from Nineteen Eighty and Eighty-one."

"You poor guy, what do you need?"

"I need records on all new hires and transfers. Sorry, just a sec." Neal partially covered the phone so the lady at the record department could hear. "Yes sir, I'm working on it, sir, yes, I know it's important, sir."

Neal sighed, "Sorry, I'm back."

Go to EmpRecS and search.."

Neal cut her off. "Empres? I'm sorry.

"Sorry type in emprecs, E, M, P, R, E, C, S. Employee Record Search. It's supposed to be an abbreviation. You won't be able to do it from the training site, you'll need to connect to SANDC14C. Fill in the fields and run it, shouldn't take more than a couple minutes.

"Thanks Trudy, I owe you one." Neal hung up and redialed.

"Hello, records department, this is Julie."

"Hi, Julie, the chief was expecting a report that I have to sift through and massage it to make it ready but I don't have it."

"What is it you need?" Julie asked.

"I need an EmpRecS off of SANDC14C for Eighty and Eighty-one on all new hires and transfers, males only. I'm working from home, cause my kids are sick. Any chance you could email it to me?

"Sure, what's your email address?"

* * *

Neal walked to the printer. The printer was spitting out page after page of San Diego Police department new hires and transfers from Nineteen Eighty and Eighty-one.

"Killing trees?" Jones asked.

"Sorry." But Neal wasn't. He was about to find the truth.

"One hundred twenty people started during those two years." Neal said.

"What's that?" Jones asked.

"Sorry, talking to myself."

* * *

Neal walked back into the conference room. Peter was back.

"Did your dad's old partner send you that?"

"No, but he gave me a clue. I made a couple calls and had it send to me."

Peter looked at the top page in Neal's stack. "That's from the San Diego Police Department, they don't just send that out."

"I asked for a favor."

Peter raised an eyebrow. Neal shouldn't be able to get this info, but he did.

Neal divided the stack into four roughly equivalent stacks and put one in front of Peter. Neal set the other two stacks in front of the seats Diana and Jones had been sitting in.

"We could look through this and find someone that looks like my dad."

Peter stared at Neal as Neal started going through page after page.

Peter was about half way through his stack. "Neal, this looks like him to me."

Neal took the page and looked at it. "That's him. He's still John, but now it's Callahan. He must like Irish and Scottish names."

Neal reached over to the phone and called information. "What's the area code for San Diego?"

The operator responded with "Six One Nine for downtown and Eight Five Eight for the northern part of the city."

Neal hung up the phone.

Peter said, "You know police aren't listed, you won't be able to look him up."

Years ago Neal had friends that helped look up unlisted numbers. How did they do it?

Neal picked up the phone and called information in San Diego, "The non-emergency number for the police in San Diego please."

Neal wrote the number down and called it.

"San Diego Police."

"Hi, can you get a message to officer John Callahan?"

"Sure, I can get a message to the detective."

"Can you have him call Neal Caffrey?"

"Sure thing, does he have your number?"

Neal gave his number, thanked the officer and hung up.

Neal's phone rang. "Hey, Moz. I found him."

"He's still alive?""Yeah." Neal smiled at that thought.

"Well, Alex is back."

"Thanks, Moz."

"Alex is back."

Peter looked at Neal, "Go home. Wait for your call. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

* * *

Neal opened his door and Alex was in bed again.

"You're going to ruin me." Neal said.

Alex smiled, "You found my note this morning?"

"I did." Neal slid in next to Alex. "How is it you have info on my dad?"

"Whew. Well, a few months ago Hale received a package, in it was a letter." Alex pulled a yellowing envelope from the night stand. Block letters stated "TO: ALEX HUNTER"

She opened the letter and showed Neal. It read "When the time is right for Neal and his Dad."

Below was a seven digit number.

Neal kissed Alex, "Thank you." He kissed her again.

Neal spun around and grabbed the phone and started dialing.

"What area code is it?" Alex asked.

"He's in San Diego, Six One Nine."

"Hello."

"Hello Dad."

"I was just going to call you."

~END~


End file.
